Chilliwack – On Wednesday afternoon (July 4, @3:45PM) Chilliwack Fire Department was dispatched to a reported structure fire located at 46278 Yale Road.
This is known as the Strachan Building.
On arrival fire crews reported seeing heavy black smoke from a 3rd floor suite balcony of the 3 storey multi-tenant residential apartment.
Fire crews performed an exterior attack and worked quickly to knock the fire down and extinguish, minimizing fire damage to the balcony. The tenant was not home at the time of the fire.
One tenant within the building was commended for quickly activating the building fire alarm system and assisting with evacuation.
Wendy Power is the building manager and told FVN: Thanks much to Shawn Carter of Valley Cycle Locksmiths across the street phoning 911 immediately and coming over to make sure everyone got out Tenant Jonathan Atkinson was a hero for going through the entire 21 unit building to make sure everyone got out. Our 3 very new babies and everyone else are safe and sound. Tenants of the unit were not home at the time the fire broke out. Firemen were fabulous!! Investigation is ongoing. I don’t believe arson is suspected at all.
No one was hurt and tenants were allowed to go back into the building shortly after the fire was extinguished.
The cause of the fire appears to be accidental at this time and is still under investigation by Chilliwack Fire Department.
